Rubik’s Cube
Value: Missions
Paul did not want to go on the mission trip to Ghana. He was absolutely
terrified of going. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Olson had gone on many such trips
and knew the joys that came from the hardships and especially the joys of
sharing Jesus with people who wanted to know him so very much. So they made him
go even though he pouted and looked very afraid all the way over on the plane no
matter what mommy and daddy said to comfort him.
When they arrived and got settled, everything Paul was afraid of turned out to
be true. He hated it all. They didn’t have a nice hotel room to stay in. They
had a hut. The food was weird and hard to eat and made of things American kids
don’t eat. The people looked funny, didn’t speak English and they even smelled
strange to Paul. None of the events or work assignments they got were fun to
Paul and he felt sick a lot because he didn’t like the food and didn’t sleep
well. Noises in the night there were so different from home.
So Paul just stayed in his hut every day as his parents went out and ministered
to the people of the village. No matter how many wonderful stories he heard of
God’s miracles and the fun they were having getting to know the people, Paul was
stubborn and he would not leave his hut. He just sat there day in and day out
and played with his Rubik’s cube. He loved that toy. It was very good for
keeping his mind off of his surroundings and trying to solve it which he never
did.
One Thursday morning, Paul got up and ate with his parents. He noticed that
either they were starting to serve American food or he was getting used to the
stuff they cooked here because he kind of liked it and ate lots more than usual.
Right on schedule then, Paul’s parents left to start the day’s work of building
homes and buildings for the new church, teaching the people and working on Bible
translations. Paul went to his bed and looked for his Rubik’s cube to start his
day too.
But he could not find it. Where could it be? It was his best friend in this
lonely place. He looked under his bedding, in his suitcase, everywhere. He was
just frantic. He started looking all around the hut, even outside the windows on
the off chance it got thrown out there. Then he remembered. The night before his
mom asked him to leave for a while so she could clean up so he went out and
found a tree stump down the hill from the hut area and he had it with him. But
it was too dark to play with it so he laid it on the stump. The sounds of
monkeys and animals in the trees started to make him afraid so he suddenly
bolted back to the hut. He must have left it there.
He was going to have to go find it. Paul peeked out the door and the village
area seemed quiet. So cautiously, he left the hut and walked down the hill
toward the log. But he stopped when he got close. There was a small boy, about
his size and age, sitting on the log looking at something. As Paul approached
carefully, the boy looked up. In his hands was the Rubik’s cube. The Ghana youth
looked at it in his hands where he was playing with it and then at Paul. Then
the biggest smile you ever saw came over his face and he held it out to Paul to
return it to him. That smile was so warm, so happy and fun loving, it seemed to
almost say to Paul, “come play with me”.
Paul walked up slowly gazing at that friendly smile. The boy lifted the other
hand and began to twist the Rubik’s cube skillfully but looking at Paul for
approval. Paul watched the patterns the boy was making. “No not that way, this
way” he felt himself saying in his mind and before he knew it, he had sat down.
Before long, the two boys were engrossed in the toy. Paul could not resist
helping the boy because it was clear this strange colored, funny smelling boy
loved the Rubik’s cube just as much as Paul did and that made him just like
Paul, not a foreign person at all.
The boys played for hours and what Paul thought was a time for him to teach this
simple villager the hard logic of the Rubik’s cube suddenly changed when boy
suddenly laughed with joy and solved it. He chattered excited phrases to Paul in
his own language and Paul took it from him and held it up and then burst into
happy laughter. “YOU SOLVED IT!” he shouted with amazement and a thrilled joy.
“I never saw anyone solve it! That’s amazing!” Paul said with excitement. He
patted the boy on the back showing his sincere respect for what he had done.
“Hey let’s see if you can do it again.” Paul sand the then he mixed it all up
again.
Right away, the boy set to work, his tongue sticking out from his teeth just
like Paul’s did when he was close to solving it. Paul watched tense as an
athlete cheering in his heart for his new friend to finish the puzzle. He didn’t
see the lead missionary come up.
“You boy’s having fun?” He said in his always friendly voice.
“Yes. Reverend Keith. It’s amazing. He solved it! He solved the Rubik’s cube.
This is so cool. I never had a friend who could…” Paul’s excited bragging was
broken but a shriek of laughter form this Ghanan friend. ‘HE SOLVED IT AGAIN!”
Paul declared with excitement and he literally jumped up and started patting the
boy and telling him how amazing he was. Reverend Keith was deeply pleased to see
the boys from two very different cultures find fun together. He talked to the
boy whose name was Ramda and told Paul his name and helped the boys talk to each
other for about an hour before he had to get back to work.
Ramda explained that he too had to go help his dad work on their hut but both
boys promised to meet tomorrow and play some more. As Paul and Reverend Keith
walked back to the missionary huts, Paul asked. “What did Ramda say to you as he
was leaving?”
“Well Paul.” The missionary said. “He told me to thank you for playing with him
and he made an observation about the Rubik’s cube.”
“Oh what did he say?” Paul asked with excitement. “He is so good at it. I want
to know his secrets.”
“He said it isn’t as hard as it looks.” Reverend Keith responded. “And you know
Paul, the same is true of sharing your faith. By just being a friend, as you are
being with Ramda, even if you are enjoying it and it seems natural, you are
sharing your faith. All you have to do is not hide what you know about Jesus and
let God guide you in acts of kindness, compassion and your natural desire to see
Ramda be in heaven like you will.”
“Well I want that for sure. Thanks Reverend. I will let God show me how to share
Jesus with Ramda. I want him in heaven partly because I want him to be happy and
not go to, well, the bad place.” Paul answered.
“What is the other part?” The missionary asked.
“Well, so I will have him there to play with me.” Paul laughed.